exercise equipment ladder Portable structures typically consisting of two pairs of legs and a series of evenly spaced perpendicular rungs or steps used for climbing. Ladders are typically around 6-10 feet tall, although some shorter ladders (often called stepladders) are approximately 3-4 feet tall and some (called telescoping or extension ladders) may reach up to 20 feet in length. Ladders are typically made of fiberglass, aluminum, or wood. umls:C0336762